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To begin this project, much thought was given to the type of vessel which would be used to store the collected rain water. Depending on which country you live in, vessels or drums will differ in shape, size and type of material, but generally all can be used for this project. Obviously also, the costs associated with these items will have changed since the commencement of construction and would change with inflation, etc, over time. As we are talking about a particular project in Japan, we will show the materials, that Mr. Okazaki located in the Nagoya area, which were favourable to his needs. Many of the hardware stores, DIY (Do it yourself) stores and Farm type implement manufacturers, stock various types of drums and containers. Also he looked at Secondhand dealers, returnable items at drum dealers and found the following to be the most suitable...... * * * * * To follow Mr. Okazaki's lead, we will seek to purchase some kind of 200 Litre capacity container. In September 2002 he found that the cheapest drums to buy was made of Resin, Steel, Stainless steel, also recycled whisky barrels. Specialist Farm products manufacturers usually also produce a 200 Litre farm model, but these are relatively more expensive.
Seen here are 'RESIN' drums in a typical recycling yard. There are excellent vessels for your rainwater project.
There are a few other items required such as PVC rainwater piping, various bends, fittings and adhesive with which the house guttering is connected to your rainwater tank. The tank stand would preferably be made from concrete housing blocks which are sturdy and do not rot or rust with passing time. The simplest of tools are required like a saw, a drill, a measuring device and a spirit level. If the system is to be expanded in time, then lumber for a tiered tank stand should be taken into your calculations. If using nuts & bolts to build a timber tank stand, stainless steel bolts and or galvanised nails, are always a good idea. If you intend to construct a tank stand out of concrete blocks, calculate how many are required, if you build a timber stand then the timber can be bought along with a timber treatment such as Creosote, to prevent wood rot and ingress by White Ants ( Termites). If you prefer to have a wooden deck on top of your concrete blocks, make sure this timber is also treated with Creosote or a similar product. Also, if using a Resin type tank, purchase some Silver UV resistant paint to paint the outside of the tank, to prevent sunlight from making the resin brittle. The silver paint reflects the sunlight and helps keep the water at a lower temperature. Some paint thinners and a cheap paint brush may be required. A short section of clear PVC tubing may be bought to make a simple water level indicating device.
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